World

Global issues, U.N., etc.

Highway Teardowns Benefitting Traffic Flow and City Life

The Infrastructurist offers four case studies of cities that have removed highways. The result: less congestion.

July 8, 2009 - The Infrastructurist

Costa Rica Leads in the "Happy Planet Index"

The New Economics Foundation's "Happy Planet Index" shows that Costa Ricans use fewer resources and lead happier lives than the rest of the world.

July 7, 2009 - Guardian (UK)

Global Trends in Bicycles and Cycling

World Watch magazine's "Vital Signs" section highlights global bicycle production and documents trends in cycle transportation, noting effects of energy costs and commodity prices.

July 6, 2009 - World Watch

Designing a City on the Sea

Winners have been announced in an open competition to design what could become a permanent, sea-based, autonomous living facility.

July 6, 2009 - Bustler

Greening America's Roadways

Our nation's roads must be greener, says David Wenzel of HNTB. A green road is one that is designed, built and maintained in a manner that protects and enhances the environment, lessens the impact on its surroundings, and encourages mass transit.

July 6, 2009 - David Wenzel

Urbanism is Alive

Steve Mouzon explains how to think about cities and towns as living species, and how that perspective should guide the practice of planners and architects.

July 4, 2009 - Living Urbanism

Make Your Own Bike Lane

A new device called LightLane attaches to the back of your bike and projects a virtual bike lane behind you.

July 3, 2009 - H2OVisions

Comparing Subway Fares From Around the World

This post from Treehugger compares subway fares from around the world.

July 2, 2009 - Treehugger

Towns Transitioning To Peak Oil Future

The Transition Town movement has spread to 150 towns in 14 countries. David Bollier of On The Commons takes a look at how these towns are making the shift towards locally-produced food and reduction in energy use.

July 1, 2009 - On The Commons

Climate Change's Barometer Has No Climate Change Plan

The Florida Keys are likely the most vulnerable places to sea-level rise in America. Despite this danger, officials there have set no plans for counteracting or dealing with climate change.

July 1, 2009 - Miami Herald

Community Colleges Set Green Workforce Training Mission

Already a national leader in green building and looking to expand its leadership, the Los Angeles Community College District is launching several collaborative efforts to train a new, green workforce.

June 28, 2009 - The Planning Report

Good Parks Good for Urban Economies

Anne Schwartz compiles recent studies on the economic value of parks, describing how an investment in parks by the city will result in a healthier urban economy.

June 27, 2009 - Gotham Gazette

Starchitecture?

The Architect's Journal selects the most significant architecture and urban design from the Star Wars films.

June 23, 2009 - The Architect's Journal

Most Unaffordable Housing, Most Livable Cities?

The Economist magazine has published it's list of the most livable cities in the world. But quite a few of these cities have the most unaffordable housing, complains Owen McShane.

June 22, 2009 - New Geography

Closing the Loop on Energy Use

Architect Michael Palwyn is designing sustainable architecture that combines solar power and seawater into an ultra-efficient loop of resource conservation.

June 22, 2009 - GOOD Magazine

Health Researchers Connect Global Warming and Obesity

A new book by four public health researchers shows that global warming and obesity have the same causes- we drive too much, and carbon-intensive foods have become our daily bread.

June 21, 2009 - Grist

Sidewalks Key Factor Influencing Physical Activity

A new study provides further evidence that incorporating sidewalks into existing neighborhoods is a practical and inexpensive way of encouraging people to exercise.

June 18, 2009 - SDSU NewsCenter

US-Arab Annual Cities Forum Next Week

Next week, the Greater Amman Municipality will host activities of the 2nd US-Arab Forum, which will last from June 22 to June 24.

June 17, 2009 - Jordan Times

The Mathematics of Traffic

A study from MIT's Department of Mathematics provides new means of understanding how traffic jams form.

June 16, 2009 - Science Daily

Reinventing America's Cities: Discovering Opportunities by Challenging Biases

Dr. Aseem Inam takes writers on urbanism and architecture to task for spreading stereotypes about "third world cities", particularly when used to generalize about urban form.

June 15, 2009 - Aseem Inam

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.